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Health matters, and this is important for everyone around the world. It should be a right, but many countries treat the health of their citizens as a commodity afforded to those who can pay for it. There are a lot of issues facing the people of Benin, Africa, but the people are doing a lot more to combat these issues. The following are just some of the common health-related issues that people should pay attention to.

Malaria Scare

Malaria seems to be one of those issues that seems to plague many parts of Africa and other areas around the world. Well, it seems that Benin along with international partners have come together to discuss ways to battle malaria.

At the moment, it is estimated that nine percent of the people in this region die because of malaria, making it pretty serious. It is clear that this issue is starting to turn around, and hopefully, this saves lives.

Oral Care

Having access to good dental care is important for those in Benin. People may not know this, but there is a lot more to worry about when it comes to oral health besides the yellowing of the teeth.

This is not to say that discoloration of the teeth is not a problem because it is, which is usually caused by smoking, but sometimes it could be due to high-pigmented foods. Other issues that people need to worry about are problems like gingivitis, which can lead to complications like heart problems or even premature birth.

Mental Health

There are many problems associated with mental health issues such as depression among many other afflictions. The problem is that these issues are not properly addressed, but this is something that Benin is combating.

It is estimated that 75 percent of the people affected by a mental health disorder do not receive the care they deserve, but hopefully, Benin can change that for its citizens. Many organizations are doing their best to improve access to care, which is definitely necessary.

Respiratory Infections

Respiratory infections are the leading cause of death among children in Benin. This is an issue that that needs to be addressed. The infections include pneumonia, influenza, and bronchitis.

All of these issues are preventable and are usually caused by things like overcrowded living conditions, poor housing materials, and the lack of water though these are just some of the causes. Many groups are attempting to build better quality homes and trying to make it easier for the people of Benin to have access to water, but there is still a lot of work to do.

Deadly Strokes

In matters of health, one of the most important ways to stay healthy is to eat well. The people in Benin and other developing regions are having a hard time ensuring that people have access to food that contains nutrients and minerals. Strokes can be prevented with whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.

The reason these foods are important is because they contain fiber. Most experts have noted that a fiber-rich diet helps prevent strokes, but the sad truth is malnutrition is an epidemic in Benin. Many people are doing their part to reverse this problem. For one, some are trying to make sure citizens can get vitamin and mineral pills. This should help in the absence of food. Of course, this is just one small step that may not be able to solve the entire problem, but at least it’s a step forward.

There are many other issues affecting the people of Benin such as heart disease, birth complications, and HIV, just to name a few things. These issues will not be solved overnight, but they do have to be addressed because attempting to solve them is a lot better than overlooking them.

Depending on where you live in the world, the amount of humidity could affect some of the elements, especially sleep. The more humid the air, the less likely it is that you’re going to fall into a more restful sleep. In warmer climates, such as the climate in Africa, the air can become so moist that falling asleep can seem near impossible.

At goodairgeeks.com, take a look at some reviews on dehumidifiers with a pump that can help suck out the moist conditions and promote sleep.

Promoting Sleep

Dehumidifiers can help you get a better night’s rest by keeping the air in your home or area clean and fresh. Dehumidifiers level out the moisture levels in the home, preventing that humid feeling that happens in the warmer months of the year. No matter your location, a dehumidifier with a pump will get the air levels back to normal and balance out the moisture in the air.

The fresher you feel, the more likely it is that you will fall asleep faster. Not only fall asleep faster, but get a more restful night of sleep. If it’s too hot or humid, tossing and turning can happen because your body is uncomfortable. Trying to fall asleep in those conditions is awful and definitely not an ideal situation.

Why a Pump?

Dehumidifiers are used all around the world. They are ideal for cleaning the air, getting rid of that moist, sticky feeling and help get rid of mold or spores. Dehumidifies can be used for anything that requires cleaner air, for example, if there was a flood in your basement, you could use the dehumidifier to help prevent mold and spore growth.

The pump in a dehumidifier adds an extra level of convenience because instead of having to empty reservoirs, where pumps typically dump moisture, the dehumidifier with a pump simple drains itself at a designated location. With some pump tubes running up to 15 feet, you could place the tube anywhere and not worry about the hassle of cleanup.

Climate

The humidity levels in South Africa typically range from a 42 to 60 percent on a fluctuating scale. Because of the sometimes extreme temperatures, the amounts of humidity will get higher. It is important to balance out these levels in order to be healthy and feel well.

Dehumidifiers with a pump can level out the climate conditions in your home and keep you breathing fresher, cleaner air. Not only with the moisture levels be balanced, but you can help your air condition systems from working in overdrive since most dehumidifiers pump air that is more easily cooled due to the lack of extreme humidity.

Conclusion

Deciding if adding a dehumidifier with a pump to your home or office can be a tough decision, but once you take a look at some reviews, the decision should be easier. The website provides the specs and details on many different kinds of machines, so you don’t have to scour the internet looking for a compilation of trustworthy reviews.

Many people view the country of Africa as being backwards, and slow to progression. They will refer to Africa as being a ‘third world’ country, and assume that there is nothing good about it at all and the overall health is poor. However, there are many things that the natives of Africa could teach us. For instance, there is the secret of why some indigenous tribes in Africa do not suffer from back pain. How can this be? This article will delve more into the topic and offer some possible explanations.

Back Pain

Back pain is a pretty generic condition that millions of people suffer with, or will experience within their lifetime. It can be caused by strained muscles, spending a prolonged amount of time in the same position, or health problems such as degenerative disc disease. Back pain can negatively affect the quality of life, and can last for years. Often, it is difficult to cure back pain completely. Typically, the treatment involves pain medication, and trying to prevent it from escalating further.

Indigenous Tribes

Cultures in different countries in the world have very low rates of back pain. As well, as the population ages, the discs in their backs show little sign of degeneration. This is confusing, because in these cultures, much of the work that is done involves bending and crouching close to the ground. An acupuncturist named Ester Gokhale traveled to villages in West Africa and discovered something interesting. The natives who lived there had a J-shaped spine, instead of an S-shape, which is common in western countries. These people were not suffering from back pain, and so Ester developed exercises for people to gradually change the shape of their spine. Some of the exercises follow.

Shoulder Roll

Shoulder rolls are the first step that you can take to improve your posture. Do not scrunch your shoulders forward, with your arms in front of your body. This is poor posture, and will lead to back pain. Instead, try a shoulder roll. Pull your shoulders up, and then push them back. Then you just let them drop, which will position your arms by your side. Remembering to do this method will help with posture.

Do Not Sit Up Straight

Contrary to popular belief, sitting up perfectly straight will not help your posture. Instead, it will compress your spine, and make things worse. According to Ester’s exercise, simply try a shoulder roll and take a deep breath. This will stretch your spine, and nothing will get compressed.

Conclusion

There are many things that African cultures can teach us, proper posture being one of them. Shoulder rolls and not sitting up straight are two suggestions that Ester Gokhale discovered which worked. However, there are others as well. If you are curious about them, you could do a little extra research on the topic. Taking care of your spine is very important in the long run, because back pain is definitely not a fun thing to have.

Moving to a new country causes all sorts of levels of difficulty. There’s VISA and movement jobs, there’s finding employment and then there is getting to know the culture and way of life. Becoming familiar with each aspect of the way of life within new places is massively important, because it’s essentially an unwritten ‘do’s and don’ts package. Discovering what is the done thing in a country is genuinely one of the most important things, and life in Benin is no different. There is a culture of gun use and also theft. Learning how to protect your home is massively important. Check out a few simple ways you can protect your home in Benin.

Light Up Your Home

It’s a funny thing, light. The absence of it gives criminals freedom to act, but add lighting to your home and it protects, almost acting like a forcefield of visibility on the home. Automatic lights that are based on movement are a great idea to have. Another option is protecting your home with LED light bars. LED light bars are literally bars of LED lights that you can attach to your home that give off a constant, bright light. If this sounds like your thing, check out Light Bar Liaison for the best reviews of the market.

‘Beware of the Dog’

Always a good way to fend off possible threats to your home – invest in a good guard dog. An even cheaper way of doing this? ‘Beware of the Dog’ signs are the warning before the warning. Many people are intimidated enough with the thought of a huge, growling dog in your house to even go near it. So, this will be a great way to deter them.

Electric Locks

The problem with a lot of standard lock-and-key locks is that people lose the key – or they get stolen. When this happens, if you don’t have an alarm in your home then you’re easy picking. If you install an electric lock that works from a code entry system, you’re already safer as a result, so long as you:

a) Remember the code

b) Don’t write the code down on something easily stolen

With these in mind, you will be much safer.

Keep the House Safe When You’re Away

Houses often get burgled while the homeowner is away. It feels like an easy target, and usually it is. If you can ask a relative or neighbour to keep one eye on your home while you’re away, you will already have much better security than many around. Check the locks, alarms and gates are all securely locked before leaving the house, regardless of the reason, too.

These are merely the simple, inexpensive steps you can take to secure your home in Benin, or anywhere in the world. Implement these and you will both be, and feel, much safer of an evening. Home security isn’t merely a scare tactic, it’s a way of protecting yourself, your home and the ones you love.

It may seem like gun control is the least of the worries of African citizens, but it’s actually quite the issue. It may seem logical to want to defend yourself against those who want to take advantage of you, and in this part of the country, using a gun is sometimes the only option. With that in mind, one is to ask, are there any gun control laws to stop people from getting out of control? Well, kind of.

Firearms Control Act

This act was initially introduced prevent the proliferation of firearms that were possessed illegally. In order to obtain a firearm legally, it has to be licensed. The owner doesn’t have to be, but the firearm does.

Who Is Eligible?

There are twenty one points that you have to hit in order to obtain a firearm. The four main ones are:

You have to be older than 21

You have to be stable & non-violent

You can’t do drugs

You can’t have a criminal record

If you meet everything else, amongst these four, you then have to take a proficiency test, which is a practical and theory exam. Only once you pass can you apply to the Police for a competency certificate. There are four categories that you can complete:

Handgun

Shotgun

Rifle

Semi-automatic rifle

The competency certificate isn’t a licence, it’s merely a piece of paper saying you can own the gun that you have received the competency for.

When Can You Own A Firearm?

In this area, there are only certain situations in which you can own a firearm and how many you can legally own. You can have just one for self defence, which can be a shot or handgun. If you live in the area and plan to own multiple guns and need a place to keep them out of harm’s way, the best gun safe for the money may need to be a consideration. It will keep your guns safely locked away and out of the reach of those who can’t have them but want them.

In South Africa, the maximum amount of rounds you can have for self-defense purposes is 200. You also have to always conceal your weapon in public places, there’s not option like there is in the U.S.

Legal Or Illegal? It Doesn’t Matter

Unfortunately, many South Africans have to keep a gun in their home for protection. A lot of times, people break into homes to steal the guns because they can’t get any of their own. It has been shown by international evidence that owners of handguns are victimized more often in contact crimes such as assaults, robbery, murder,

It’s a very common belief that crimes are only committed with illegal guns and that the only way to remedy it is to take away the illegal guns through buy-back programs , searches, amnesties, and intelligence operations, but it’s not. There are more than one way that illegal guns make their ways into South Africa:

Legal guns get smuggled from close countries.

Fraud, poor enforcement, and corruption of the Firearms Control Act.

Loss and theft of firearms from state institutions and civilians.

Think about this for a second-illegal guns were all once legal. There are a high amount of lost and stolen guns. The only way to fix this is by strictly regulating the licensing process for the guns.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, in areas such as South and West Africa, gun ownership is nothing to brag about, it’s actually something to fear. No matter whether owning a gun is illegal or legal, crime is going to happen. South Africa has the second highest gun crime rate, the United States is at the top of the list. It’s not promising that the violence will calm down if stricter laws are put into place, but one can hope.

People nowadays should always take time to look back at how ancestors and aborigines lived their lives so healthily and peacefully in the past, despite lacking the technology that are enjoyed and abused by those living in the now.

During the old times, people worry about nothing else but the food they will eat for the day, the clothing that they will have to wear with the purpose of protecting them from the cold or heat and not with the purpose of looking fabulous, and the house they will have to live in, with the purpose of protection and not to impress their neighbors.

Basically, the main goal of our ancestors was to protect themselves and survive another day. Such basic desires and motivation caused them live more healthily because they do not tamper with nature too badly.

Nowadays, however, tampering is the new thing. That is why houses are built in materials that are believed to be sturdier than plain wood, and they are built in excessively bigger sizes than it needs to be.

But despite all that technology has to offer, houses are still susceptible even to the most basic element there is – water.

For people in Benine, Africa, water damage is one of the most hazardous types of contamination that any house could ever encounter. A friend from Africa had to learn and deal with this truth, the hard way, after losing his house in NY due to his negligence about water contamination.

He was born and raised in Benine, but he has moved to NY to pursue greater success. However, he never thought that an event such as what happened would be so damaging to his home.

His house was beyond repairable with all the insects thriving inside his walls and dirt and molds all over the place. His house was always damped because he lives in an area that was frequently flooded. Thinking like he was still in Benine, were floods are even something locals become happy about, he disregarded the frequent flooding in his house and just let the areas dry naturally or just push out the water. He never gave it much thought before.

Now, he lives in another house because the old one was no longer habitable by humans. Insects and germs have taken over the place. We all know that water is a nutritious element, but it not only give nutrients to plants and animals and human beings, it is also a very healthy element for the bad things as well, such as molds and bacteria and harmful insects.

If only people learned to think more like the aboriginal people did, then he would have understood that the essence of a house is to protect the people inside it, and as the house protects the owner, it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that the house remains in top condition so that it could continue to serve its purpose. Giving up on the responsibility to ensure that your house is in good condition will have its consequences on you.